Emily Gilmore

Role

Emily is the wealthy matriarch of the Gilmore family and lives with her husband Richard (Edward Herrmann), a successful insurance consultant, in a mansion in Hartford, Connecticut. She is a member of a bridge club, country club, the Society Matron's League, and serves as the president of local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She goes through a succession of various cooks and maids in her home, as she often fires household staff due to her high standards. It is revealed that Emily attended Smith College, where she majored in History and was a member of the field hockey team. She met Richard at a party while she was at Smith and he was at Yale University.

Emily's only daughter Lorelai (Lauren Graham) had run away from home as a teenager to raise her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) on her own, forcing Emily to remain estranged from both her daughter and granddaughter for several years until Lorelai desperately asks her parents to help pay for Rory's admission into Chilton Preparatory School. Emily agrees to lend Lorelai the money required on the condition that both she and Rory visit her and Richard at their home for dinner every Friday evening. Having had a strained relationship with Lorelai ever since she decided she would be raising Rory without her parents or then-boyfriend Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe), Emily wants to spend as much time with Rory as possible, partially to ensure that her granddaughter receives the opportunities her mother never did. She uses Chilton as an opportunity to forge somewhat of a "normal" relationship between herself, Lorelai and Rory. Their arrangement continues when Rory graduates from Chilton and enrolls at Yale University, her grandfather's alma mater. Emily and Richard separate at one point during the series over a series of heated disagreements, but eventually reconcile in favor of renewing their vows.

In Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Emily struggles to adjust to her husband's recent death, to whom she had been married for 50 years. She is furious with Lorelai after she gives an unflattering speech during Richard's funeral, thus increasing the rift in their relationship. Emily tricks Lorelai into attending therapy with her in attempt to mend their relationship (where Emily reveals she is also upset over a malicious letter she insists Lorelai sent her several years ago, although she denies it), with mostly unfruitful results. Emily is only able to forgive Lorelai after she calls her mother to share with her the time Richard comforted her by taking her to a see a movie after she was humiliated in school. At the end of the revival, Emily sells their mansion because it constantly reminds her of Richard's death, moving to Nantucket, Massachusetts, where she and her late husband used to vacation in the summertime. She also quits the Daughters of the American Revolution, and starts working at a whaling museum as a docent. The identity of who sent Emily the letter remains undisclosed.

Development

Gilmore Girls

Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino originally pitched Gilmore Girls to The WB as a series about Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a young mother and daughter duo whose close relationship is more similar to that of a pair of best friends as opposed to family members, but the show's concept was not fully realized until Sherman-Palladino introduced the idea of a third, older generation of Gilmores to the storyline: Emily and Richard Gilmore, Lorelai's wealthy, conservative parents. The creator explained that "Lorelai is made because of her experience with her family, and Emily is Emily because Lorelai left", believing Emily's relationship with Lorelai "added a layer of conflict that allows you to do the comedy, but at the base of it, it’s almost a tragedy.” One of the show's central conflicts is drawn from the fact that Emily is a "confused" character in several ways, particularly in regards to her complicated relationship with Lorelai. Gilmore Girls' original main source conflict revolves around "the generational battle between" the domineering Emily and Lorelai, her free-spirited daughter. Secretly, the character is proud of her daughter's accomplishments but has continued to harbor resentment towards her ever since she gets pregnant at age 16, for which Emily has never quite forgiven her.The pilot episode begins with some form of dramatic change altering the lives of Emily, Lorelai and Rory. While Lorelai, for the good of her daughter, must reluctantly allow her parents back into the life she deliberately built for herself without them, Emily's life suddenly changes from barely having a relationship with either her daughter or granddaughter for several years to manipulating their financial situation so that she can be involved in both of their lives for the first time. Sherman-Palladino strongly felt that Gilmore Girls would be successful after watching the pilot for the first time, in which Emily, Lorelai and Rory experience their first of several Friday-night dinners. Subsequently, Emily's relationship with Lorelai would be explored in virtually all of the show's episodes, establishing itself as one of the dramedy's "major plot points". The New York Post's David K. Li summarized Emily's role in the series as "a cold-water reminder of what some mothers are really like." The Washington Post contributor Jenny Rogers believes Emily's was written in a way that "was supposed to drive [audiences] crazy", similar to the way in which Lorelai reacts.

The character spends many early episodes behaving as though not much time has passed since Lorelai ran away. Although initially created to resemble a "complex" villain, fans believe that Emily appears to grow "softer" towards the second and third seasons, when in fact the writers only "explained [her] a little better" by evolving the character into a "more complex" version of herself. As "emotionally guarded" individuals, both mother and daughter channel their feelings towards each other in different ways. While Emily typically avoids the topic of Lorelai's upbringing, Lorelai refuses to acknowledge how abandoned she felt by her mother, "hid[ing] her feelings behind a rapidfire series of jokes." The character continues to evolve into a more complicated character as the series progresses. The first season episode "Emily in Wonderland", in which Emily visits Stars Hollow for the first time and wears a pair of sneakers at Rory's behest, offers an early example of the character's willingness to change in order to spend more time with and please Rory. However, her relationship with Lorelai remains strained well into the fifth season; the creator explained that she retained this dynamic because "In life, you never solve your family issues ... You take a few steps forward and feel like 'We're communicating better!' Then something happens and you're like, 'Why didn't I see that coming?" Thus, they remain "firmly ... in their estranged battleground." At one point Sherman-Palladino had deliberated introducing a woman slightly older than Lorelai – a widow who approaches Emily for help on being "more than just beautiful" in the wake of her wealthy husband's death – who becomes something of a surrogate daughter to Emily. This character and related storyline about Emily "finally ha[ving] a daughter figure who wants to be like her" would have augmented the conflict in Emily's relationship with Lorelai. Sherman-Palladino identified Emily as one of her favorite characters to write for.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Richard suffers several medical emergencies during the original series, which usually result in Emily worrying about having to potentially live without her husband. On one occasion, Emily convinces Richard to promise that he not die before her, saying, "I demand to go first." Herrmann died in 2014. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life revolves around Emily, Lorelai and Rory as the characters encounter new life challenges. Sherman-Palladino felt that the revival should mirror each main characters' role in the original Gilmore Girls pilot, in which "all three women were at a change in their lives." Herrmann's death was written into Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life by having his character also die shortly prior to the events of the series. Despite admitting that doing another Gilmore Girls project without Herrmann would be "really complicated", she expressed confidence Sherman-Palladino's ability to "handle that level of emotions, but still keep it funny". The creator decided that Emily's change would revolve around the character coming to terms with the fact that she can no longer be with her husband. His death is discussed most prominently in the first episode "Winter", during which Emily's fears about living without Richard are realized. The Washington Post's Jenny Rogers observed that the character "now has a few decades of life left without the person for whom she seemed to live", forced to make decisions about dating. Feeling purposeless in the aftermath of her husband's death, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life follows Emily "as she tries to find a way forward through her grief and confusion" during her first year as a widow. Bishop originally believed that her character would resume Friday-night dinners in the wake of her husband's death "because it's one of those schedule structures that she has in place". Sherman-Palladino decided to write the eldest Gilmore "in an unexpected direction." In Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Emily experiences more dramatic changes than she had experience during her seven-year arc on Gilmore Girls, embarking " on the biggest journey" of the three main characters. Leah Thomas of Bustle summarized Emily's storyline as "one of re-discovery and reflection." With a progression that is of equal importance to that of her daughter and granddaughter, Emily takes on a more central role than she ever did in the original series, particularly during the "Winter" and "Fall" segments, "tak[ing] the spotlight as a character in her own right" according to Vanity Fair's Laura Bradley. According to Sherman-Palladino, Emily's storyline as a new widow explores what "the death of a husband mean[s] to a woman who had a life very specific to her all of these years", encountering widowhood and loneliness for the first time in her life. Bishop described her character as "a raw nerve" as a result of losing her husband, alternating between being "right on the edge of losing it" and "a little manic", as well as having both "dreadful" and "touching" moments during her mourning process.

Characterization

Personality

Vogue's Edward Barsamian described Emily as a "deluded, vain, and grandiose" character who is "a caricature of East Coast blue bloods." Known for being judgmental and sarcastic in nature, BuddyTV described Emily as "snooty and very difficult to please", while Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe called her "imperious and controlling". The Washington Post's Jenny Rogers described Emily as "A classist meddler with a mean streak"; her flawed personality includes her tendency to be controlling and manipulative at times. Bustle's Mallory Carra observed that Emily "was always a very prim and proper woman" who "expected everyone and everything to be in its proper place" until her personality gradually changes in the wake of Richard's passing. However, Emily rarely loses her temper, with Erica Palan of Mental Floss describing her as a character who "could throw down when she wanted to get her way and melt down when she didn’t." Emily has a reputation of being "a resilient woman" due to her "tough exterior and tender heart". Michael Moran, writing for The Jewish Chronicle, dubbed Emily "master of the passive-aggressive aside".

CinemaBlend's Corey Chichizola identified Emily as one of Gilmore Girls' "most layered and complex characters", writing, "While she appears to be superficial, privileged, and conniving ... Beneath it all is a woman who is desperately seeking love and attention from her family, but is unable to compromise her beliefs." Justifying Emily's behavior, Bishop elaborated that her character "is not bad just for the sake of being naughty, but she is accustomed to what people are in a certain way and she is uncomfortable when it is not as she would like. In fact, I think she's not quite sure of herself." As such, upper class upbringing causes her to often suppress her quirky, "fun, creative, youthful side" despite her occasional urges to explore it. News.com.au journalist Gavin Fernando agreed that "Everything she says and does comes from this incredibly complex, emotional and passionate place". Bustle's Emily Lackey observed that the character "is built on contradictions, always doing and saying the opposite of what she means". Writing for the same publication, S. Atkinson agreed with Emily's complexity, describing her as "one of the show's prickliest, but also unusually sympathetic, characters". Erik Mink of the New York Daily News believes that Emily is just "as smart and assertive as" Lorelai and Rory, "and more clever than either of them"; she shares her daughter's sarcastic wit, which has been described as a "deadpan" sense of humor. She is also involved in a variety of charity organizations and clubs, particularly the DAR, but whether or not her interest in these programs is genuine is undetermined.

Relationships

According to Konbini's Benjamin Holt, Emily adheres to the "bad mom" literary trope, describing her as an example of "a domineering matriarch with a sharp tongue and ruthless wit." The New York Post journalist David K. Li credits Emily's "bickering" relationship with Lorelai with reminding viewers what a typical mother-daughter relationship looks like, in stark contrast to Lorelai's best friend relationship with Rory. Although the characters occasionally share "tender moments", their relationship "has never been ideal" in comparison to the strong bond between Lorelai and Rory. Emily often bestows "condescending lines and disapproving glares" upon Lorelai, who has at times compared her mother to politicians Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Emily strongly believes that Lorelai's life would be better if she would only listened to her, but the two characters view Lorelai's life "in completely different terms." The Week's Lili Loofbourow observed that the character can be "callous and even cruel" at times, even when she insists she is acting out of Lorelai's best interest. Despite disagreeing with most of Lorelai's decisions, the character is secretly proud of her daughter's accomplishments and remains "there [for Lorelai] when it mattered", such as caring for her when she injures her back and growing emotional upon watching Lorelai graduate from college. Diana Bruk, writing for Country Living, agreed that, despite being "suffocating and over-involved" at times, Emily "ferociously loves her daughter", for whom she would do anything. Bruk insists "everything Emily does in the show is because ... she wants the best possible" for Lorelai. She is visibly heartbroken upon seeing the shed Lorelai chose to raise Rory in over her own home for the first time, exclaiming "You hated us that much!" The character often uses guilt as a means of convincing Lorelai to do her bidding. Emily's relationship with Lorelai mirrors her relationship with her mother-in-law Trix, who "driv[es] Emily crazy." However, Emily is very protective of her family, as shown when she defends Lorelai from Francine Hayden, the mother of Lorelai's childhood boyfriend Christopher, and Rory from Shira Huntzberger, the mother of her boyfriend Logan upon learning that her granddaughter had been disrespected by his family, proving how much she cares for her. Emily also defends Lorelai every occasion that Christopher's father Strobe speaks poorly of her. Her decisions to leave the DAR and move to Nantucket are reminiscent of Lorelai's rebellious nature. When Emily finally moves to Nantucket, she accepts the fact that Lorelai will not be as prominent a feature in her new life. However, because she still wants to spend time with Lorelai, she offers her money to expand her inn in exchange that she visit her for two weeks during summer and one week over Christmas.

Emily's biggest struggle is trying to maintain a relationship with both her daughter and granddaughter "while doing what she thought was best", secretly wanting little more than to finally have a good relationship with Lorelai. Li believes that the character is mostly jealous of Lorelai "and would give anything to have the open relationship Lorelai and Rory share." Bishop explained that her character truly envies Lorelai's relationship with Rory because she "doesn’t know how to do it", struggling to understand their dynamic due to having been raised to believe that parents are not to be friends with their own children. Emily feels underappreciated by her family, often resulting in the character feeling insecure. Bishop agreed that her character is "weirdly insecure", a trait that makes her long for the status quo. She is heartbroken upon reading Lorelai's letter announcing she has decided to run away, when Lorelai neglects to inform her that she is engaged to Max Medina, and when Rory to leaves their home, into which she had moved after dropping out of Yale, without saying goodbye to her; Lorelai's strained relationship with Rory during this time offers viewers "a glimpse of how Lorelai and Emily’s relationship disintegrated" when she was a child. Flynn observed that the character is "often on the receiving end [of mistreatment] when Lorelai and Rory's decisions were less than admirable", but is usually willing to forgive them for the sake of maintaining their relationship. She also struggles to express how much Lorelai's actions, beginning with leaving home as a teenager to limiting contact with her granddaughter, hurt her. Emily views Rory as her "new Lorelai", an opportunity to "do over" her relationship with Lorelai and serving as something of a "replacement" for her daughter. However, despite being remarkably different, it has been noted that both Lorelai and Rory appear to have "inherited their biting wit" from Emily.

Reception

Critical response

Critical reception towards Bishop's performance has been positive since Gilmore Girls premiered in 2000. Graeme McMillan of Wired wrote that the actress "plays Emily to perfection", while The Hollywood Reporter commended Bishop for portraying her character "with great moxie". Us Weekly agreed that Bishop played the character "perfectly". Lauren Fries of Variety praised Bishop as a "talented" actress who "make[s] Graham’s work easier and lend[s] a good deal of authority and legitimacy to the show." CinemaBlend contributor Adrienne Jones wrote that the actress "helped her character display just the right amount of heart and saucy venom to engage in emotional verbal battles". Bustle's Alanna Bennett commended Bishop for making her character "entirely human" as opposed to solely "pompous and one-dimensional". Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan similarly appreciated Bishop's "lively yet precise" performance for preventing Emily from being "just another WASP witch", referring to the character as "often the best thing about the show" while ranking her among seven things she will miss about Gilmore Girls in the wake of its finale. Vox's Constance Grady believes that Bishop is "entitled" to an Emmy Award nomination for her performance, calling both her and Graham "extraordinarily gifted actresses who play beautifully against each other" and highlighting moments when Bishop "gets something to sink her teeth into". The critic also identified the season five episode "Emily Says Hello" during which her character sobs after returning home from a pleasant date as Bishop at her most "fantastic" and "extraordinary". The Telegraph's Rachel Ward opined that the series had always been "at its best" when the "steely...judgmental" Emily "showed [her] vulnerability". Bishop's performance earned her two Golden Satellite Awards nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Musical or Comedy Series at the 7th and 8th Golden Satellite Awards in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Fans of the series of long lamented the fact that the Emmy Awards did not acknowledge Bishop's performance in the series during its seven-year run.

Reception towards Emily's characterization has varied greatly. In 2002, Zap2it contributor Amy Amatangelo named Emily one of television's "10 Best Characters", calling her relationship with Lorelai the show's "most gripping". Vanity Fair's Joanna Robinson felt that Emily was the only character whose personality was not harmed by the series' much-maligned seventh season. News.com.au's Gavin Fernando hailed Emily as "The Greatest Character Ever", describing her as "perfection" and criticizing the "painful" way in which she is depicted as a villain. Advising fans to forget about Lorelai and Rory, Fernando concluded that Emily "is the real star of" Gilmore Girls. The Christian Post contributor Jilianne Arbonida called Emily a "better" version of Lorelai. Shari Nementzik of Cosmopolitan described the character's one-liners as "memorable", whose neurotic personality she eventually "learnt to love". As one of the show's most vilified characters who some critics initially perceived as "one-dimensional", Emily has constantly been criticized for being a manipulative character who uses wealth to achieve her goals. Some fans of the series dismiss the character as "elitist and judgmental." David K. Li, writing for the New York Post, dubbed Emily quite possibly "the most unlikable mother on TV" but admitted she is the reason "the show feel[s] real." Beamly compiled a list of "5 times We Really, Truly Hated Emily Gilmore", calling her "not quite a villain but she’s not exactly a heroine either." IndieWire ranked the character one of the least important Gilmore Girls characters at number 67, admitting "There are things about Emily that are nice. That are entertaining. That are admirable", but criticizing her for causing Lorelai and Luke to break up, among other reasons "why we have no patience with her behavior." Author Shannon Liz Miller also enjoyed watching Trix "dr[ive] Emily insane".

Revival and popularity

Once considered to be one of the show's most underrated, overlooked characters, Emily has experienced newfound popularity and appreciation as a result of her role in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, since becoming a fan favorite. Bustle contributor Caitlin Flynn believes that Emily was originally ignored by audiences because she belongs to an older generation than most Gilmore Girls fans. Wetpaint's Gaby Corsalini observed that the revival reminded audiences "just how underappreciated and underrated Emily Gilmore’s character always was." When the revival was announced, BuzzFeed's Krystie Lee Yandoli heralded the return of Emily "into our lives." Jenny Rogers, writing for The Washington Post, expected Emily to be "the only reason to watch the ‘Gilmore Girls’ revival", reevaluating her as a "great" character upon re-watching the original series while preferring her "biting" sense of humor over Lorelai and Rory’s. Rogers also believed that Emily would be the only main character who could evolve reasonably enough to satisfy fans. PopSugar's Erin Hurley wrote that Emily "never disappoints when it comes to snark," insisting that it and her "burns" be featured prominently in the revival.

Most critics and fans agree that the character provides the majority of the revival's highlights. Comparing the character's storyline to that of a phoenix rising from the ashes, Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair appreciated Emily for "sav[ing] us from her progeny’s typical, tedious flailing", writing, "she’s no Rory or Lorelai, but isn’t that exactly what we love about Emily Gilmore?" In a separate review, Bradley crowned Emily the "Real Star" of the revival and wrote that she "is back and better than ever", praising her development as "the only [character] who shows any semblance of personal growth". Refinery29's Anne Cohen echoed Bradley's sentiment, dubbing Emily "The Best Character In A Year In The Life" while highlighting her as "the only one who truly comes into her own." Cohen also Believes that Emily has always been "the most stable, caring character" on Gilmore Girls, despite her flaws. Margaret Lyons of The New York Times agreed that Emily's storyline "had the most emotional weight and credibility", describing herself as "elated to see her claw her way back to a life she wanted." Bustle contributor Lea Thomas dubbed Emily's conclusion "one of the most touching and memorable in the revival". The Vine's Tara Watson described Emily as "a joy to watch" due to Bishop's "phenomenal" performance and the "unexpected direction" in which the character was written. Bustle's Mallory Carra identified the scene in which Emily confronts the DAR as "poignant" and "one of the show's best scenes ever". Critics agreed that Bishop's performance was worthy of an Emmy Award nomination. TVLine felt that Bishop's performance deserved a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Writing for the same publication, Dave Nemetz agreed that Bishop "is long overdue for a Supporting Actress nomination", calling her performance "masterful" Praising her for excelling in both her characters "explosive" and quieter moments, the website joked, "If there’s an Emmy voter out there who doesn’t deem Bishop worthy of a long overdue nomination, we’d like to point you in the direction of Emily’s new favorite word: 'Bullshit.'" In a slightly less positive review, Lydia Snapper of Cliché Magazine wrote that although she "loved Emily’s transformation through the grieving process", she found her moving to Nantucket to work as a whaling docent implausible.

Racism allegations

The way Emily treats her maids has been widely criticized, a common complaint made against an otherwise well-received character. Several critics have accused the running gag of being racist due to the fact that the majority of Emily's maids are non-English-speaking women of color, who she often fires. Christopher Rosa of Glamour felt that "there isn't anything funny about a spoiled white person disposing of women working in her home like they aren't human beings." The Frisky's Divya Amladi dismissed the running gag as Gilmore Girls' "most condescending storyline". Amladi admitted that she struggles to determine if the writers intended for the running joke to be taken humorously or seriously. Critics have been slightly more tolerant of Emily's relationship with Berta, a maid she retains throughout the entire duration of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, some of whom have reviewed their dynamic as "generous" and "sweet" due to the fact that Berta appears to be a "more humanized" character than Emily's previous maids.

Despite agreeing that Emily's relationship with her maids has always seemed racist, calling it Gilmore Girls' "weirdest vice", VH1's Anna Cincera appreciated the fact that Emily acquired Berta as a friend, receiving it as a method of "apologiz[ing] for all that aforementioned casual racism" but would have preferred if "Emily learns Spanish to talk to her friend like humans do". Ali of VH1 welcomed their relationship, believing that Berta "bring[s Emily] joy" after Richard's death. Writing for the same publication, Damian Bellino praised Emily's growth overall but dismissed the Berta subplot seemed "false", while Kelly Anderson lamented the loss of "Emily firing people in every episode."

Stronger criticisms have endured; Amladi dismissed Emily's relationship with Berta and her family as "a weaksauce commentary on immigrants moving in and taking over", additionally criticizing the fact that she sells her large home in which they could have all lived comfortably in favor of moving them to a smaller beach house, accusing the character of treating them like objects. Despite having mostly praise for the character, Vanity Fair's Laura Bradley dubbed Emily's treatment of Berta and her family "racist", referring to it as one of the character's "more frustrating habits" that were retained for the revival. However, Bradley acknowledged that some of Emily's "coldness melts away" as the character agrees to care for Berta. Anne Cohen of Refinery29, who also had very positive opinions to share about Emily otherwise, called the subplot "tired — and a bit racist", but admitted that it allows Emily to exhibit compassion that she's rarely shown before. The Washington Post's Emily Yahr wrote that the subplot "seems out of place for a TV show in 2016."